Aero Commander 500 accident near Opalocka, Florida, March 27, 2020
On March 27, 2020 at about 4:15 am local time, a 1965 Aero Commander 500, registered N516DT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Opalocka, Florida (Miami-Opa Locka Executive airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear due to distraction and his delayed go-around, which allowed the airplane to get too low and contact the runway with the landing gear retracted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2020 · about 4:15 am local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Opalocka, Florida · Miami-Opa Locka Executive · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500 B, built 1965 · all 500s on the register
- Registration
- N516DT · registry record · serial 1574
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the descent to final, he began the GUMPS checklist. As he turned on the fuel tanks, he picked up interference on the radios. After fixing the radio situation, he continued the checklist. During the landing flare, he noticed that the "runway sight picture" seemed lower than normal. As he noticed this, he looked at the landing gear indicator, and the landing gear warning horn simultaneously sounded, so he initiated a go-around. While climbing to traffic pattern altitude, he noticed that he had failed to extend the landing gear. He added that he had not heard or felt the airplane contact the runway before the go-around. The pilot subsequently landed without incident and noted no damage during a cursory postflight inspection. He then departed and landed at another airport. Subsequently, he performed a more thorough postflight inspection of the airplane, during which he noticed that the marker beacon antenna was shaved off and that the lower fuselage of the airplane had sustained substantial damage consistent with ground contact.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Configuration › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,156 hours in all; 1,093 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 1,980 as pilot in command; 699 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 7, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25,876 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 18, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 6,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO540-E145 (piston); 15,438 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO540-E145 (piston); 16,912 hours total
- Operator: Central Airlines Inc
The flight
- Departed from: VDF Tampa FL
- Destination: OPF Miami FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 6,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from OPF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Investigative Photographs Peter Wentz Air Safety Investigator Eastern Region Aviation April 27, 2020 Photograph 11 – Accident airplane – left side view. 1 Photograph
Photograph 22 – Damaged former (station 134). Photograph 33 – Station located diagram. 2 Photograph
Photograph 44 – Lower fuselage skin damage between stations 134 and 165. Photograph 45 – Lower fuselage skin damage to station 180. 4 PhotographThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 27, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N516DT on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aero Commander 500 163 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aero Commander 709 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO540-E145 4,223 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Lycoming IO540-E145 4,223 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Miami-Opa Locka Executive · nearest airport
- Tampa Executive · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,704 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA20CA148.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.